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Storage Wars star Dave Hester today sued A&E and the producers of the reality show, calling it a staged “fraud on the public”. Represented by attorney Marty Singer in his suit (read it here), Hester is seeking more than $750,000 in damages and fees from the network and Original Productions for their actions and for firing him from the show. “When Plaintiff David Hester (“Hester”) complained to producers that A&E’s fraudulent conduct of salting and staging the storage lockers was possibly illegal, he was fired from the Series. As further evidence of Defendants’ outrageous conduct, they purported to rescind their written exercise of an option retaining Hester’s services this coming season,” says the 14-page complaint, which is suing for wrongful termination, breach of contract, breach of good faith and fair dealing, unfair business practices and declaratory relief.
Reality shows are often accused of sleight-of-hand manipulation of events, contestants and other participants, but Hester’s suit tarnishes Storage Wars almost from top to bottom. “Nearly every aspect of the Series is faked, even down to the plastic surgery that one of the female cast members underwent in order to create more “sex appeal” for the show, the cost of which was paid for by Original,” the suit claims. “Original regularly ‘salts’ the storage lockers that are the subject of the auctions portrayed on the Series with valuable or unusual items to add dramatic effect, even going so far as to stage entire storage units. Original also manipulates the outcome of certain auctions by paying for storage units on behalf of the weaker cast members who lack the both the skill and financial wherewithal to place winning bids,” it adds. Hester is seeking a jury trial.
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Now in its third season, the highly rated Storage Wars pits buyers against one another for contents of abandoned storage lockers. Known as “the Mogul,” Hester has been one of the seven main participants on the show since it debuted in 2010. The second half of Storage Wars’ latest season began last week.
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So why did he remain on the show if it was so ‘fraudulent’? He claims they canned him AFTER he complained – but why not quit to show it was fixed? Hmmm, Hester?
Yup, you lose.
Yup, that’s what I do whenever an employer steps out of line – I just quit to make a point. Because that’s the smart thing to do, at least on opposite day.
Seriously, I was let go from a job once for pointing out that the math in the investors’ prospectus was wonky. I said c’mon, whether it’s intentional or not, we can do it right and do it well. They said OK, thanks, we’ll look into it. A week later, I was fired for something else. That’s how it’s done.
I’d like to see him win this case, not because bringing it to the attention of the producers was the right thing to do – it wasn’t – this is reality TV, not reality, and everyone knows it’s fake. But letting him go over that was the wrong thing to do, and it happens all too often.
Dave Hester needs to shut the Yuup Up
Storage Wars is my favorite TV show.
I can not stand Dave Hester. I always hoped he would leave the show.
Now that Dave is no longer on the tv show, will your tv series still continue for many more seasons.
Thank you very much.
If everyone quit a job when the boss breaks the law or does something wrong to someone, no one would have a job.
You confront your employer, when you grow up and get a job you will find out.
Mike
dumb as fool!
Cause he’s under a contract and if he left without being fired he’d be getting sued…Smart move Dave …give it to them
I’m only here for the entertainment and to add a few items to my collection. Dave was all about the money and I hear he’s struggling to make ends meet. Being a mogul isn’t easy when you start losing money, you have to find other ways to try to stay king of the hill…but that’s another show.
Barry, you’re the reason I watch the show. You crack me up, and it’s obvious you are more interested in the treasure hunt than the money. Love it!
I agree, I think Barry is a hoot…Barry makes the show worth watching and to see what car he drives next, he really makes me laugh. The locker with the view lol
We do not miss Dave.
Barry, I love watching you on the show. You make it so much fun. And your mom is a character. If you ever need a side kick, contact me. I
was born and raised in Beverly Hills and love searching for collectibles.
I know the shows are fake. They did one here in my home town. A lot of us went and watched them unload trucks of stuff into empty lockers for the show. Then the cast comes and films the show, bidding on crap. When the taping was over, they just loaded the stuff back on the truck.
It just like Pawn Stars and American Pickers. I watch AP “find” a civil war belt buckle with a bullet stuck in it. Two weeks later, the buckle was being sold on PS. The very same one.
Its all entertainment, nothing more.
Because it would be a breach of contract on his part. Glad you understand things before you talk shit.
Dear Dave, You sir are a bully. You openly drove prices up on lockers for no apparent reason, Time and time again. In a quiet moment ask yourself, why do I do the things I do. Karma is a bitch and being broke and most likely alone is your pay back. You had it all. Now with your mean and selfish attitude who will care that you are at the bottom? You can always call your brother! It is time for you to find a Server. Yours truly, Jake
I agree with you and I might add what goes around comes around.
You mean to tell me someone actually took this(these)shows as the truth???? oh my, they should be sued for stupidity.
yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuppp!!
Is this the reAL Barry?
I’m a HUGE fan barry!!!!!!!!!!! youre my favorite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why would ANY cast member not have the “financial wherewithal” to purchase a STORAGE LOCKER? They’re all TV stars on a top-rated TV show.
Does anyone really still believe that these “reality TV” shows are “real”?
If so, let me know, and I’ll send you a proposal for some great real estate I’m offering in the Florida everglades!
I forgot to mention – I’m selling REAL cheap!
The general public does. Crazy as it sounds. The Producers of this stuff all pretend everyone is in on the joke but to Joe Average, this is real.
h
That’s why this world – and, in particular, this country – is in so much trouble.
I pity the new generations.
I might be interested. Tell me more about this property.
Shocker!
Dave Hester is a troublemaker…let him go and counter sue his ass
You’re the third person to say yup, or some variation of yup, in the context of slamming Dave Hester in this forum today. Are you all the same person?
Maybe you should watch the show before you make such comments.
Yeeeeep! He pretty much confirms what I thought about this show from the first time I saw it. Not saying it’s not entertaining — it is — but pretty implausible at times.
Marty Singer hates reality tv and knows he’s going to crush Original in this case or he wouldn’t have taken it on
As Captain Renault said in Casablanca, “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.”
Sounds like a bad case of the butthurt on the part of Dave Hester. Everyone knows Storage Wars is fake; that’s no new flash. But it doesn’t matter because people just enjoy a little brainless TV (but I repeat myself) sometimes. Hester should build a bridge and get over his butthurt
I’m amused at the immense irony of someone complaining about TV watchers being ‘brainless’ yet still relying on such a childish word like “butthurt”. Thank you for the chuckle.
Who cares? The show is fun to watch- one of my faves. Who really thought it was ‘reality’ anyways?
he is suing them because he is broke from opening that failure of a 2nd business
Nobody watches this show and thinks it’s real. And if they do and they attend one of these auctions in “real life”– one time around the maypole will be enough for them.
During the “show” (and it is a show), viewers have seen Hester close his business and start working out of a warehouse. Where does he sell his goods– ill gotten or not?
His “buys”– fraudulent or not– are few and far between.
Hester always tries to ruin it for other bidders every week (real or not). No surprise he would seek to ruin the show when his BIG MOUTH gets him fired… And also look for a BIG PAYDAY.
This is what happens when you hire opportunistic chumps to “star” in your “reality” show. This segment of the industry is full of them… Even more so than the “fiction” side.
“Nobody watches this show and thinks it’s real. And if they do and they attend one of these auctions in “real life”– one time around the maypole will be enough for them.”
Actually, I do attend Storage Auctions but never been to one of the Dotson Auctions.
Dan and Laura Dotson are REAL auctioneers. In the Auction business, we rely on honesty from the auctioneer to protect the buyers. Obviously they don’t show every locker and that is clear; however, this is FRAUD and the Dotsons are accessories by knowingly auctioning “salted” or compromised units (against California Law).
I will never attend one of their auctions because they willingly duped real buyers and essentially rigged the market to raise prices for the rest of us.
There should be a class action suit against A&E as well as the producers of Storage Wars.
Mike
Have you attended one of their auctions?
Doesn’t seem you have.
You have no case.
You sound like another opportunistic bum trying to make a quick buck anyway you can.
Who did they dupe exactly? The other people at the auction? You realize that for the show to work, the four teams of “contestants” are the only ones who can actually win the bidding on the “salted” lockers, right? You do know that the other people “bidding” along for the sake of the show KNOW they don’t have a chance at winning said locker, right?
Do people think things through before they make a post online these days?
Storage Wars faked? Next Hester is gonna try saying the sky is blue!
Yuuuuuup!
Next thing they are going to say is that wrestling isn’t real.
What do you mean wrestling isn’t real?
It’s still real to me.
me too, me too
I find the show pretty entertaining. Even if the producers placed items in the locker — perhaps the bidders did not know what was placed — so the risk is the same.
Dave was fired? When?!
Like any scripted show or movie, we are being manipulated by producers and directors into believing all of what we see on “reality/game shows” is in fact real. To think what we see on any of these show is 100% real is to believe the sun is purple instead of yellow. They may not be scripted, but outlines are designed and written and the person delivers (rather poorly, I might add) that outline.
But we ignore it, because we like being a voyeuristic nation, dismissing the lack of internal logic these shows have in favor of misguided notion that what happens on “reality shows” is real.
“To think what we see on any of these show is 100% real is to believe the sun is purple instead of yellow.” I’m kind of bored, so I figured that I would point out that what you said may not be exactly accurate. Considering the fact that the Sun is actually a combination of lights/wavelengths. Yellow is just what we see on Earth through the atmosphere.
You could tell the lockers were staged when the boxes with commercial logos have their logos taped over when the lockers are opened.
I don’t mind manipulation of the facts to create interest in the show. I do mind if the storage units are “salted” with valuable items. Do whatever you like, but leave the lockers alone. That’s crossing the line IMO.
Well, the WGA will soon move in and turn this show guild…said no reality or game show writer ever.
Plastic surgery by one of the female cast? There are only two female cast members. Brandy – who looks no different than she did day one including big boobs, and Laura Dotson (Dan the auctioneer’s wife) who looks the same as she did from the beginning. There arent any other female cast members unless they are trying to say that Barry had surgery for something.
Brandy is hot.
Yum.
It’s still real to me, dammit!
Reality shows NOT reality????? The hell you say.
A bigger problem may be that if there was a “conspiracy” of bid rigging, that would be a violation of The Sherman Anti-Trust Law which could bring Federal prosecution.